PrimusLabs contracted audits are performed by either its own
employee auditors or subcontractors. These personnel go through extensive
training and oversight in order to be contracted by PrimusLabs. Auditors are
specifically trained for each scheme and scope they audit against and rarely
are there auditors who can perform all types of audits within the PrimusLabs
portfolio.

8) Auditor Training. Candidates for Subcontractor or PrimusLabs Employee
Auditors are required to attend a formal PrimusLabs and/or
PrimusGFS Auditor Training Course, where the following topics are
discussed:-

Candidates who have only trained for PrimusLabs standard audits (GAP and/or
GMP) should note that there is a requirement to attend PrimusGFS specific
training in order to perform these GFSI recognized audits. Also PrimusGFS
requires auditors to attend either an ISO 9000 (Quality) or ISO 22000 (Food
Safety) Lead Assessor course. The ISO 22000 Food Safety Lead Assessor is
focused on food safety and therefore the more useful course to attain.

9) The candidates will be copied with and asked to sign a copy of the
PrimusLabs Auditor Rules (Conventions). A copy will be held on file.

10) Shadowing Existing Auditors. Candidates for Subcontractor or
PrimusLabs Employee Auditor Schemes are required to shadow existing auditors.
The shadow audits are usually at least one per different type of audit, but
candidates can shadow as more if they wish to. Shadow auditors score audits as
they occur and after the audit report has been issued, the auditor and the
shadow auditor go through each others work to see how close they were scoring
their observations and how they were interpreting the audit guidelines.

11) Shadow Audit Assessments. Once a candidate for Subcontractor or
PrimusLabs Employee Auditor Schemes is confident they are ready to be assessed
for an audit scheme and scope, a shadow audit assessment is organized. The
candidate performs the audit and is formally assessed by a senior PrimusLabs
auditor. The senior auditor assesses:-

The senior auditor will create a formal shadow assessment report with their
recommendations for the next steps for the candidate auditor (can be a
requirement for more assessments, partial approval for certain kinds of audit
work or full approval).

12) Final Review. The Auditing Technical/QA Manager then re-reviews all
of the Subcontractor/Primus Employee’s documentation and has the final decision
on the auditor approval status.

13) If all has gone well, the new auditor is then available to be booked for
audits that they have been approved to perform – this is restricted by audit
type, location and language. Audit reports are subject to mandatory review for
at least the first five audits, thereafter frequency of review varies depending
on ability.

14) Subcontractors and PrimusLabs Employee auditors are subject to continuing
reports reviews, audit shadowing (assessment or not assessed either by
PrimusLabs personnel, accreditation personnel and other members of the supply
chain for example buyers), on going training (including some on-line training),
audit surveys and appeals.

15) All auditors can be suspended, delisted or have other types of imposed
restrictions if deemed necessary by PrimusLabs Audit Dept.

Primus Group, Inc. is a privately held investor-owned California corporation providing microbiological and pesticide residue analysis of food, database management services, and management of third party auditing schemes.